This coming Sunday is the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Our gospel is the parable of the Ten Virgins. It was not that five slept and five stayed awake: v. 5 says explicitly that they all slept and all had to be awakened by the midnight shout. The problem goes back to the preparations they had made before going to sleep. At the core of the problem is that they lacked oil for their lamps. While the parable itself offers no allegorical identification for the oil, we do know that oil is a rich and multifaceted symbol in both the Old and New Testaments. Its symbolic use carries various meanings and significance in different contexts. Here are some of the key ways in which oil is symbolically used in both the Old and New Testaments:

• Anointing and Consecration: Oil was often used to anoint and consecrate individuals for specific roles and purposes. Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil as a sign of God’s chosen and set-apart status. For example, David was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel before becoming king (1 Samuel 16:13).
• Healing and Restoration: Oil was used for medicinal purposes and symbolized healing and restoration. In the famous “Good Samaritan” parable, the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured man to help heal and soothe his injuries (Luke 10:34).
• Joy and Celebration: Oil was often used as part of festive occasions and celebrations. It was associated with joy, abundance, and blessings. In the psalms, the anointing of the head with oil is linked to the overflowing cup of God’s goodness (Psalm 23:5).
• Sacrifice and Atonement: In some sacrificial rituals, oil was used as an offering to God. It symbolized consecration and reconciliation with God. It was also a component of the anointing oil used in the tabernacle and temple rituals (Exodus 30:22-33).
• Anointing of Jesus: In the New Testament, the anointing of Jesus’ head or feet with oil is a symbol of reverence and recognition of His identity as the Messiah. The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume in Luke 7:36-50 demonstrated deep love and devotion.
• Healing and Miracles: In the ministry of Jesus and the early Christian Church, oil was used in conjunction with healing and miracles. In the book of James, anointing with oil is associated with prayer for the sick (James 5:14-15).
• Illumination and Guidance: Oil lamps were common sources of light in the ancient world. Oil symbolizes illumination, guidance, and the presence of God’s Word. The psalmist describes God’s Word as a lamp to one’s feet and a light to one’s path (Psalm 119:105).

Certainly the last example is one that pertains to this parable in the literal sense. One might well argue that to have a full measure of oil in the allegorical sense is to have let the light of Christ illuminate, guide and help you prepare for this life and the next. The preceding and following parables both indicate an understanding of what it means to be ready.  But the point is simply that readiness, whatever form it takes, is not something that can be achieved by a last-minute adjustment. It depends on long-term provision, and if that has been made, the wise disciple can sleep secure in the knowledge that everything is ready.

All that being said, one is then struck with the oddness of v.13 – “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”  Its oddness is that “stayinging awake” is precisely what none of the ten girls did, and the wise ones did not suffer because of their dozing.  It is almost as though it is an added on as it virtually repeats Mt 24:42, where it precedes a parable which was about staying awake. Nonetheless both Matthew and Luke use this expression with a sense of vigilance and readiness. With that language already in play with Matthew, one might simply offer vigilance and readiness, necessarily encompass preparedness, which is a concern of the parable.

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